FROM

While the public is becoming more sensitive to the
exploitation of captive big cats and elephants, they are not as aware of the
problems bears face in captivity, where they often are deprived of all that
is natural and important to them.

An estimated 3,000 bears are confined in the U.S.,
with over 1,000 of them in non-accredited or zoo-like facilities – though
there is no way to know the exact number.

Ben

Sampson, a black bear, was once was displayed in a dilapidated
drive-through roadside attraction that had been cited for numerous
violations of animal welfare law.

Boo Boo was a “pet” who became too unsafe to handle as he grew. His owners
put a chain around his neck and left it there. The chain became embedded
deep in Boo Boo’s neck and it wasn’t until after he was rescued that it was
surgically removed.

Winston, Boo Boo’s enclosure-mate, came from a breeding compound where he
was destined to become someone’s pet.

Ben (pictured above and below at ARK 2000) was confined at a roadside zoo in
a barren 12x22 foot cage made of concrete and chain link. He was fed dry dog
food that was dumped onto the same floor where he urinated and defecated.

Ben

Today, these bears are safe and cared for at PAWS’ ARK 2000 sanctuary,
in natural enclosures filled with grass, bushes, trees and a pool. They can
engage in activities that are meaningful to them: digging, exploring,
creating nest areas to sleep in, and foraging for food, including acorns
that fall from shady oak trees.

Other captive bears are not so fortunate. While the public is becoming more
sensitive to the exploitation of captive big cats and elephants, they are
not as aware of the problems bears face in captivity, where they often are
deprived of all that is natural and important to them.

In nature, bears spend most of their time foraging for food across vast
areas, which keeps their bodies fit and their keen minds challenged. Black
and brown bears are opportunistic omnivores who consume a wide variety of
seasonally available foods such as fruits, berries, herbs, flowers, insects,
grubs, vegetation, fish and carrion. In captivity, things are very
different.

Roadside zoos and “bear pits”

Captive facilities such as roadside zoos and “bear pits” often confine
bears in small and filthy enclosures, with inadequate diets and care. This
leads to a range of problems, including obesity due to inactivity, foot and
joint problems caused by standing and walking on hard surfaces like
concrete, and abnormal repetitive behaviors such as pacing and head rolling.

Bear in "bear pit"

Bear pits, in which the animals are confined in deep concrete
enclosures, are a form of sensory deprivation. All the bears can see are
concrete walls and humans (who they see as predators) hovering above them,
creating a continuous source of stress. Tourists who visit bear pits can buy
food to throw to the animals, who unnaturally beg or repetitively pace.
Although bears’ nutritional demands change with the seasons, these
facilities often ignore their important dietary needs. In roadside
attractions, bears may be denied shelter from inclement weather or the
opportunity to retreat to a den in the winter.

Bear cub petting

Roadside zoos may offer sessions where visitors pay to handle or pose
for pictures with young bears. Cubs are separated from their mothers at a
young age, even though they would naturally spend about 17 months together.
This deprives cubs of their mother’s milk and antibodies that are crucial to
their developing immune systems, leaving them susceptible to disease. Photo
and play sessions expose cubs to excessive handling, injury and stress.
Facility staff may punch, violently shake or abuse young bears who "act up."

Bear cub petting

Black bear cubs weigh about 20 pounds at four months of age. By eight
months, they can weigh 50 to 75 pounds. Bears have non-retractable claws, so
even a young bear can cause injury to children and adults handling them.
Once a cub is too old to be handled by the public, they are no longer of use
and may be sold to other zoos, private owners, or used to produce more cubs.
Unwanted bears may be slaughtered for the exotic meat market or the illegal
trade in bear parts.

Bear shows and the pet trade

Some county and state fairs still feature cruel and archaic bear shows.
Chained by the neck, bears are forced to perform ridiculous tricks such as
balancing on balls, riding on scooters and walking on their front legs. Just
like a circus, the bears are hauled around in dirty trucks, intensively
confined, and subjected to violent training methods. Some roadside
attractions also feature bear shows.

The private ownership of bears is inhumane for the animals and unsafe for
people. “Pet” bears are often confined in tiny backyard cages where they
will spend their lives in misery, deprived of all that is natural to them.
Even bears who were captive-born and bottle-raised remain wild and are
capable of killing people and inflicting serious injuries.

What you can do

An estimated 3,000 bears are confined in the U.S., with over 1,000 of
them in non-accredited or zoo-like facilities – though there is no way to
know the exact number. You can help these highly intelligent and active
animals by:

Avoiding roadside attractions that exploit bears and bear cubs, and
urging your friends to do the same.

Never take a selfie with a bear cub or any other wild animal.

Don’t be fooled by places that call themselves sanctuaries. A true
sanctuary would never offer cubs for petting or photos, and they don’t
buy, breed or make their animals perform.

Fair Use Notice: This document, and others on our web site, may contain copyrighted
material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners.
We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use
of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law).
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use,
you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.